Margarita Island, Venezuela, April 2006

[Fred Gruendell]

Margarita Island, Venezuela, April 2006 - A dream trip to a windsurfer’s paradise
Warning this is long and probably tedious.

Please indulge me while I selfishly relive what must have been the best Margarita trip anyone has ever had. If you’ve read the windlog you’ve seen obscure references to bikini clad women; very true and very appreciated, but sorry, not the point of this message.

My awesome wife Lana, those super “Beach Babes” Sarah and Linda (you all know who they are), and I have been to Margarita Island several times. We started planning this year’s trip while we were still there last year. We hated to leave then and we knew we wouldn’t be happy unless it was certain that we were coming back.

Margarita 2006 was the fifth trip to the island for Lana and me and it just keeps getting better. The warm sun, sandy beach, warm water, great accommodations, excellent food and drink. I don’t know that you can find a better windsurf vacation destination. Add to that some pretty good wind, and good gear that is always rigged and ready. The whole package is just awesome, but I’ve found what makes it even better.

The ladies and I have been sharing a condo when we stay in El Yaque and it’s worked out better than I ever could have expected. Last year we had one other new friend, Shelly from Hood River, stay with us and we had an awesome time, but she couldn’t make it this year. This year the group was expanded with three new friends from the Seattle area; Heidi, Lou and Brenda and another adjacent condo was required. Plus Steffy from SLC was able to join us mid trip. Yes, that’s right one guy with seven women. You might be thinking, this is the stuff that makes for great letters to those smutty men’s magazines YEEE HAWWW… It’s true they are all gorgeous, but as windsurfing buddies? It just can’t work, can it? I mean, windsurfing is all about being macho-hardcore, sail hard, drink a lot of beer, scratch, belch and fart. Testosterone rules! This would be more like Campfire Girls… More on that later.

First some travel info. Venezuela, in case you don’t follow South American politics, is governed by a delightfully charming guy named Hugo Chavez. He really is quite affable and he has the ability to give rambling speeches that can last for hours. The common people of Venezuela love him. He’s tight with Castro and I think he is probably the most charismatic leader in either South or North America. He’s also probably a little nuts. He’s the guy that our own jewel of rationality, Pat Robertson, said we should “take out”. He’s also the guy who offered the “oppressed poor” of the United States a bunch of cheap gas after hurricane Katrina. Anyway, Hugo has been threatening to stop the US airlines from landing in Venezuela. We fly Delta and use our Skymiles to get there. This shutdown was supposed to take effect the very day we to leave so we were worried about that, but some response/respect from the FAA averted any problems. All was going well until, mechanical problems required our scheduled airplane to be swapped and downsized by about 150 seats. Sarah and Linda were at risk of being bumped, but Linda, who’s a Delta flight attendant, saved the day by riding in a jump seat (and she made 400 Delta Dollars in the deal). YEA! We’re on our way.

Caracas Venezuela is the destination for the only Delta flight and you get there around 10:00 p.m. Not good. The Caracas airport is defined as one very scary place. That’s during the day. At night, forget about it. They say Navy SEALS cry when they have to go through there. Okay, I’ve exaggerated a little. But seriously we pay to have a guy meet us at the airport and take us directly to a predefined hotel. We also change a little money with this guy because he gives us a slightly better rate than the bank. We go cheap on the hotel, the hotel Santiago in Macuto. Next year we will probably upgrade the hotel. The Santiago just isn’t up to our lofty standards anymore, but it is safe. If you’re interested, here is a touching story about Caracas: http://www.courier.org/bdow.htm By the way, hard US currency is more valuable in Venezuela than traveler’s checks or credit cards. The rates at banks and change bureaus are now tightly controlled. I take half hard cash and half traveler’s checks. I have used my credit card there and later saw that I was apparently having a great spending spree in Caracas even after I had returned home. Yup, they just write down your card number and start using it.

Getting to the island from the Caracas domestic airport is easy. You do not need the help of the guys who will be offering you lots help with bags, changing money, which line to stand in, etc. Tell them that up front, or be prepared to give them a tip, or risk offending them when you finally tell them to buzz off. (I did give such a guy a tip because he was really-really working us and business was obviously slow.) Linda had already made our flight reservations on line and prepaid the fares. This is a good thing to do. http://www.aeropostal.com/aero2004/english/home.asp

We stay at the Las Brisas condos. Nice people Jim and Lois Stufflebeam own two units and they rent one out. They recently sold the rental unit so it remains to be seen if we can rent it in the future. We have also stayed at the Hotel California (not the one referred to by the Eagles.) We rent gear from Vela and they are consistently a great supplier. JP and Starboard boards mostly. Neal Pryde sails. Did I mention that you never have to rig!!!

The sailing at El Yaque is pretty dang good by anyone’s standards. Admittedly it can get quite choppy inside, and sometimes crowded if you approach the beach. The wind is good but not usually nuking. It is capable of going full on bonkers though. Being skunked is rare but it can happen. There is no real wave sailing for you non-flat types but there is some pretty fun swell as you get out away from the beach, (as in a mile or two away from the beach). Out there you find few sailors, except Sarah and Linda of course. I figure they are looking for whales or dolphins or submarines or something.

Margarita wind is light in the morning then picks up around noon. We would typically do two pretty good sessions each day. We would typically start around 11:00 and sail until 1:00 or 2:00, rest, and then go again at 2:30 or 3:00 till 5:00. Then you simply rinse off the salt water and drop into a chair at the beach bar still wet. Happy hour 5:00 to 7:00 weekdays is half priced drinks. That’s Bs 1500 for a mixed drink and Bs 1000 for a beer or about 68 cents and 45 cents US respectively. Oh, Bs is how you abbreviate Bolivars the local currency.

Okay that’s the tour guide details… now to my newly developed feminine side.

Hanging out with so many women got us plenty of looks while we were there. People who knew we were from Salt Lake City had probably seen enough episodes of Big Love to get the wrong idea. I was a bit apprehensive when the idea was first presented, but now that it’s over, I have to tell you guys… Windsurfing chicks en masse rock! We had an awesome time. They are flat out fun. Sarah and Linda can sail circles around me and Lana’s learning curve is far steeper than mine was. The “new” girls: Heidi teaches windsurfing in Hood River, Lou and Brenda are getting into the sport after a couple years hiatus. Steffy is just beginning. I’m convinced this new gear makes learning just way too damn easy. There should be more pain!!! It’s just not fair.

Playing in the rollers and speeding along incredibly long reaches really got the adrenaline flowing. There are those moments of such contentment and clarity as you dash along where you just get it. This is what it’s all about, this is being conscious, this is being alive.

Some of us took one day off from the water and rented motor scooters to go check out the even more rustic part of the island. We had an awesome time and saw some unforgettable scenes. There were some very humble little towns out there. The people were warm and friendly with big smiles for us. Our expected three hour tour took us six.

These windsurfing women were way easy going and always seemed to be having a great time. There was something about them that was just soothing. I don’t know what it was. Maybe I didn’t feel there was any need for the competitive bullshit. I’m sure it goes on at some level between everyone, but this time I was outside of it all. Or at least that’s how it feels to me now. I got to know a little about them on a person to person level and they all took a piece of my heart.

There are experiences that take a special place in our memories. These are the material that makes life rewarding and joyous. These come from our families, our lovers, special places and times. I’m sure for some people it comes from their belief in divinity. I owe this special experience to some very special girls. I especially thank Lana for putting up with me and all she does for me. Thanks to Sarah, Linda, Steffy, Heidi, Lou, and Brenda. You all made Margarita 2006 one that will never be forgotten. The Panda Posse rules!

[RickHeninger]

Fred,

Now that is a post!!! I laud this post!!! I think that it is so very cool that you shared a little true deep heart with this post... Our world needs a hell of a lot more of it!!!

"If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds of distance run, yours is the world..." etc. -Rudyard Kipling

Sounds like you did that! I wish I'd have read this posting before the meeting...

I haven't spent such quality time with the people you referenced but I'd have to shadow your sentiments from the time I have spent with them (those whom I know)...

In fact, I wish we all knew best and most appropriate (superlatives) ways to show true love to those people around us who most of the time probably think that we don't even notice them. I am always dealing with this lamentation. Fear!!! Way to give it up my man!

Whether its a manic moment or not, positivity should ALWAYS be welcomed!

So I will take this special moment (seriously) to say I love being powered by that which we don't see but feel... The wind!!! And I have a special place in my heart for all those who share that same feeling! Ok, now I'm veclempt! But I mean it...

So, "selfish"? I don't think so... Sharing without reservation, maybe more accurate!